Wrench



Oct. 27, 1942.

J; P. 'CLEGG WRENCH Filed May 1, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wgwm John F C1699 J. P. CLEGG Oct. 27, 1942.

WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1941 j a, 5 7 u 6 5 2 WWW L 0 n J! 5 P: w n! 6 4 0 0 MW .0

' John 67999 Patented Oct. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved monkey wrench or pipe wrench and more particularly to improved means for retaining the jaws of the wrench in adjusted positions and for releasing one of the jaws to permit it to be moved freely toward and away from the other jaw to thereby provide for quick and easy adjustment of the aws.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide wedge means for clamping the movable jaw of the wrench in adjusted positions relatively to the fixed jaw and on the shank of the wrench, and spring means for urging the movable jaw toward a released position, when said wedge means is released, for disengaging the teeth of the movable jaw from the teeth formed on one edge of the shank.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide wedge means constructed and arranged to be actuated by the movement of a lever and in which the lever is so arranged that when it is in a position for projecting the wedge members, the spring for moving the movable jaw to a released position, will cooperate therewith for holding the lever to prevent accidental release thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a wrench constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational View looking toward the rear edge of the wrench,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view partly in vertical section and showing the movable jaw lacked to the shank,

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the movable jaw in a released position,

Figures 7 and 8 are side elevational views of the upper and lower wedge blocks, respectively, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a modified form of the wrench.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different Views, In designates generally the preferred embodiment of the invention, as disclosed in Figures 1 to 8, inclusive, and which comprises a wrench having a shank l I which is provided with a head I 2 at one end thereof and a handle lit at its opposite end. The forward edge of the shank H is provided with teeth [4 and the head 12 is disposed transversely of the shank II and projects from its toothed edge M'to form the stationary jaw of the wrench Ill.

A strip of relatively heavy sheet metal I5 is bent into U-shaped form and a jaw I6 has one longitudinal edge disposed between the ends of the strip l5 and secured thereto by fastenings I! to combine therewith to form a sleeve portion it which slidably engages the shank H,- as best seen in Figures 4 and 6. The inner edge of the movable jaw l6, which is disposed adjacent to the toothed edge I4, is provided with a longitudinally and centrally disposed groove IS in which is mounted a leaf spring 20 which is fastened at one end thereof by a fastening H to the jaw 16 and which is provided with an outwardly bowed intermediate portion. The edge portions of the jaw H5, which are disposed on either side of the groove l9, are provided with teeth 22 to mesh with the teeth I4.

The intermediate portion of the strip i5 is provided with an opening 23, intermediate of its ends, and the sides of the strip 15 are provided with outwardly bowed portions forming ears 24 which define the sides of the opening 23. A lever 25 is provided with an enlarged laterally extending bearing portion 26 atone end thereof which is provided with a bore adapted to aline with apertures in the ears 24 for receiving a pin 21 for pivotally connecting the lever 25 to the strip l5. An arm 28 is formed integral with and projects from the bearing portion 26 at an obtuse angle to the portion-29 of the lever 25 and is disposed-between the sides of the strip [5. The lower end of the intermediate portion of the strip l5, designated 30, is disposed substantially parallel to the shank II and the upper portion of the intermediate portion of the strip I5 is disposed at an oblique angle to the shank l l and is inclined upwardly and inwardly thereof, as seen at 3|.

A wedge block 32 is disposed between the portion 30 and the shank l I and is provided with an upper, bifurcated end, the furcations 33 of wihch are apertured to pivotally engage the ends of a pin 34 which extends transversely through the free end of the crank arm 28. The outer edge of the wedge block 32 is inclined inwardly and upwardly relatively to the shank H, as seen at 34. A wedge block 35 is disposed between the shank H and the portion 3i and is provided at its lower end with depending furcations 36 having laterally extending inwardly opening lots 31 through which the pin 34 loosely extends. The furcations 36 are disposed between the furcations 33 and the arm 2B,'as best seen in Figure 5. Block 35 has an upwardly and inwardly inclined outer ,edge 38 corresponding to the inclination of the portion 3| against which it bears, when in a raised position.

When the parts are in the positionsyas seen in Figure 4, the teeth l8 are locked in mesh with,

the teeth M for holding the jaw [6 in a fixed position relatively to the jaw l2 so that the opposed, engaging faces 39 may coact for engaging a nut or other element to be turned, not shown, which is adapted to be disposed therebetween. When thus disposed, the lever portion 29 is substantially parallel to the portion 30 and the free end of the lever 25 which is offset inwardly, as seen at All, rests against the back edge of the shank II, and the crank arm 28 extends inwardly and upwardly relatively to the shank II for holding the adjacent ends of the blocks 32 and 35 against the back edge of the shank II, and the surface 38 bears against the portion 31 for holding the upper end of the block 35 in tight engagement with the back edge of the shank H. The lower, free end of the surface 347 bears against the inner side of the portion 39 for likewise holding the lower end of block 32 in clamping en agement with the shank H. When thus positioned, the spring will be held under tension by engagement with the teeth M to prevent the arm 28 from accidentally swinging downwardly and inwardly relatively to the shank H for releasing the wedge blocks 32 and 35. By grasping the handle 40, lever can be swung upwardly and outwardly to move the arm 28 to the position, as seen in Figure 6, thereby moving the blocks 32 and downwardly to released positions so that the spring 28 can urge the jaws is away from the shank H for disengaging the teeth l8 from the teeth I l so that the jaw Hi can be moved freely relatively to the shank II for adjusting it relatively to the jaw l2. To again lock the jaw It, the lever 25 is swung downwardly and inwardly to its position, as seen in Figure 4, and as it moves downwardly the arm 28 will force the adjacent ends of blocks 32 and 35 toward the shank Ii and the block 35 will be moved upwardly so that its upper end will be forced inwardly by the portion 3| and the block 32 will also be moved upwardly so that its lower end will be forced inwardly by the surface 34' engaging the lower edge of the portion 30.

In Figure 9, a slightly modified form of the wrench is shown, designated H), which is provided with a head If which forms a T with the shank H to provide a stationary jaw M corl responding to the jaw formed by the head l2 and a second stationary jaw 42 which projects from the back edge of the shank H. A second movable jaw 43 is formed integral with or is suitably secured to the strip l5 above the ears 24 and projects outwardly therefrom and is disposed beneath jaw 42. The jaw 43 is provided with an upwardly and inwardly inclined inner edge 3} which replaces the portion 3! and serves the same purpose as said portion. jaws 42 and 43 are provided with opposed, coacting faces 44 and form the jaws of a monkey wrench. The jaw 4| and the jaw l6 have coacting faces 39 which are serrated to combine with the other elements to form a pipe wrench. The jaw I6 is inclined slightly so that its outer end is further away from the jaw 39 than its inner end, thus providing a wedge shaped space between jaws It and 39' into which a pipe, not shown, can be inserted and wedged. As aresult, jaws l5 and 38 can effectively grip pipes which could not be gripped if the jaws were parallel, due to the fact that the teeth l4 and 22 would not afford a sufficiently fine adjustment for pipes of all diameters. The remaining parts of the wrench l0 are identical with the corresponding 75 The parts of the wrench l0 and the means for releasing and looking as well as for operating the movable jaws 43 and I6 is the same as the means for releasing, locking and operating the jaw l6, and a further description thereof is therefore deemed unnecessary.

Obviously, if desired, the jaw faces 39 of the wrench It] could be serrated similarly to the faces 39' if desired in order to adapt the wrench ID for use as a pipe wrench. Various other modisaid movable jaw and projecting from one edge thereof for slidably engaging said shank, said edge being provided with teeth for meshing with the teeth of said shank, spring means carried by the movable jaw for engaging the toothed edge of the shank for urging the movable jaw outwardly thereof for disengaging said teeth, a lever pivotally connected to said frame, means connected to said lever and disposed in the frame for movement transversely and longitudinally of the shank for moving the movable jaw toward the shank, said means comprising an arm pro jecting from the lever at an angle thereto and adjacent its pivoted end, blocks movably mounted in the frame for engaging the opposite edge of said shank, said blocks being pivotally connected in end to end relation to said arm at their adjacent ends, whereby the movement of the lever will cause the arm to move the blocks longitudinally of the shank and to move their adjacent ends toward and away from the shank, and cam means associated with the ends of the blocks and with said frame for moving the remote ends of the blocks toward the shank.

2. A wrench comprising a shank having a toothed edge and a head at one end projecting laterally therefrom and forming a-stationary jaw, a movable jaw having a sleeve portion for slidably engaging said shank, said movable jaw having a toothed edge for meshing with the teeth of said shank, spring means carried by the movable jaw for urging the movable jaw away from the shank for disengaging the teeth, a lever pivotally mounted in the sleeve portion at one end thereof and provided with an arm projecting at an angle from said end, blocks dis posed in end to end relation in the sleeve portion and engaging the opposite edge of the shank, said blocks having adjacent ends pivotally connected to the free end of the arm whereby said blocks will be moved toward and away from the shank and longitudinally thereof when said lever is actuated, said blocks having cam portions adjacent their remote ends, and said sleeve portion having surfaces arranged to be engaged by said cam portions for moving the remote ends of the blocks toward the shank when said blocks are moved in one direction'longitudinally of the shank.

3. A wrench as in claim 2, said arm being movable across the'dead center of its pivot and the pivot of the lever, when the blocks are moved to engaged or released positions, so that the spring will function to retain the blocks in eithe an engaged or a released position.

JOHN PQCLEGG. 

